Dark Chocolate: A Review on the Effect of Functional Ingredient Substitution on Physicochemical Properties, Sensorial Acceptance and Potential Health Benefits
Abstract
This scoping review aimed to evaluate evidence from 2013 to 2024 on the impact of substituting functional ingredients in dark chocolates in terms of their physicochemical properties, sensory acceptance, and potential health benefits. A literature search was performed using electronic databases including PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Science Direct (Elsevier), and Scopus (Elsevier), using data from 2013 to 2024. All types of studies published in English, excluding systematic reviews or review papers, were eligible for inclusion. A total of 1,067 eligible studies were identified, 24 of which met the inclusion criteria. This review highlights trends and existing gaps, and provides valuable insights for researchers, industry professionals, and consumers interested in chocolate formulation and consumption. The findings indicate that incorporating functional ingredients, such as fibres, polyphenols, and probiotics, can enhance the nutritional profile of dietary fibre, antioxidant activity, and gut health effect from dark chocolate. However, these substitutions are negatively affected by decreasing physical properties (e.g., hardness, viscosity, and melting temperature) and sensory attributes such as flavour and texture. This review shows that, although substituting functional ingredients improves nutritional quality, it negatively affects sensory characteristics and poses a significant challenge to consumers. Further research should explore novel ingredients to optimise nutritional profiles, increase health benefits, and improve sensory attributes of chocolate products.
Full text article
References
Afoakwa EO. 2014. Cocoa Production and Processing Technology. Cocoa and Coffee Fermentations, 1st edn. Boca Raton (USA): CRC Press.
Akdeniz E, Yakışık E, Rasouli Pirouzian H, Akkın S, Turan B, Tipigil E, Ozcan O. 2021. Carob powder as cocoa substitute in milk and dark compound chocolate formulation. J Food Sci Technol 58(12):4558–4566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-020-04943-z
Akyol A, Dasgin H, Ayaz A, Buyuktuncer Z, Besler HT. 2014. β-glucan and dark chocolate: A randomized crossover study on short-term satiety and energy intake. Nutr 6(9):3863–3877. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6093863
Arisi TO, da Silva DS, Stein E, Weschenfelder C, de Oliveira PC, Marcadenti A, Lehnen AM, Waclawovsky G.2024. Effects of cocoa consumption on cardiometabolic risk markers: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr 16(12):1-24. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16121919
Ashfaq MM, Chawla AN, Ali MU, Bhutto AA. 2024. The cardiovascular advantages of dark chocolate: A comprehensive analysis of bioactive compounds and health implications. Pak J Agri Res 37(3):217–222. https://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.pjar/2024/37.3.217.222
Ashrafie NT, Azizi MH, Taslimi A, Mohammadi M, Neyestani TR, Mohammadifar MA. 2014. Development of reduce-fat and reduced-energy dark chocolate using collagen hydrolsaye as cocoa butter replacement agent. J Food Nutr Res 53(1):13–21.
Balcázar-Zumaeta CR, Castro-Alayo EM, Medina-Mendoza M, Muñoz-Astecker LD, Torrejón-Valqui L, Rodriguez-Perez RJ, Cayo-Colca IS. 2022. Physical and chemical properties of 70% Cocoa dark chocolate mixed with freeze-dried arazá (Eugenia stipitata) pulp. Prev Nutr Food Sci 27(4):474–482. https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2022.27.4.474
da Silva Medeiros N, Koslowsky Marder R, Farias Wohlenberg M, Funchal C, Dani, C. 2015. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of different types of chocolate, milk, semisweet, dark, and soy, in cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum of wistar rats. Biochem Res Int 2015:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/294659
De Prisco A, Mauriello G. 2016. Probiotication of foods: A focus on microencapsulation tool. Trends Food Sci Tech 48:27–39. https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2022027.4.474
Del Prete M, Samoggia A. 2020. Chocolate consumtion and purchasing behaviour review: Research issues and insights for future research. Susitanbility 12(14):1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145586
Didar Z. 2020. Properties of dark chocolate enriched with free and encapsulated chlorogenic acids extracted from green coffee. Braz J Food Technol 58(8):3065–3072.
Didar Z. 2021. Enrichment of dark chocolate with vitamin D3 (free or liposome) and assessment quality parameters. J Food Sci Technol 58(8):3065–3072. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-020-048
Durai A. 2022. Malaysian have been chocolate-crazy during the pandemic. The star. https://www.thestar.com.my/food/food-news/2022/01/11/malaysians-have-been-going-chocolate-crazy-during-the-pandemic [Accessed 1st March 2023].
Erdem Ö, Gültekin-Özgüven M, Berktaş I, Erşan S, Tuna HE, Karadağ A, Cutting SM. 2014. Development of a novel synbiotic dark chocolate enriched with Bacillus indicus HU36, maltodextrin and lemon fiber: Optimization by response surface methodology. LWT- Food Sci Technol 56(1):187–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2013.10.020
Fanton S, Cardozo LF, Combet E, Shiels PG, Stenvinkel P, Vieira IO, Mafra D. 2021. The sweet side of dark chocolate for chronic kidney disease patients. Clin Nutr 40(1):15–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2020.06.039
Feichtinger A, Scholten E, Sala G. 2020. Effect of particle size distribution on rheological properties of chocolate. Food Funct 11(11):9547–9559. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0FO01655A
Felice F, Francini A, Domenici V, Cifelli M, Belardinelli E, Sebastiani L, Di Stefarno R. 2019. Effects of extra virgin olive oil and apples enriched-dark chocolate on endothelial progenitor cells in patients with cardiovascular risk factor: A randomized cross-over trial. Antioxidants 8(4):1–14. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8040088
Galanakis CM. 2021. Functionality of food components and emerging technologies. Foods 10(1):128. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010128
Gallegos Soto AS, Rabelo RS, Vélez-Erazo EM, de Souza Silveira PT, Efraim P, Hubinger MD. 2020. Application of complex chitosan hydrogels added with canola oil in partial substitution of cocoa butter in dark chocolate. Front Sustain Food Syst 4:559510. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2020.559510
Glicerina V, Balestra F, Rosa MD, Bergenhstål B, Tornberg E, Romani S.2014. The influence of different processing stages on particle size, microstructure, and appearance of dark chocolate. J Food Sci 79(7):E1359-E1365. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.12508
Handiati YD, Praseptiangga D, Manuhara GJ, Khasanah LU. 2019. Effects of Kaempferia galanga L. essential oil incorporation on sensory and physical properties of dark chocolate bar. IOP Conf Ser Mater Sci Eng 633(1):012036. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/633/1/012036
Kobus-Cisowska J, Szymanowska D, Maciejewska P, Szczepaniak O, Kmiecik D, Gramza-Michałowska A, Cielecka-Piontek J. 2019. Enriching novel dark chocolate with Bacillus coagulans as a way to provide beneficial nutrients. Food Funct 10(2):997–1006. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8fo02099j
Koh WY, Lim XX, Teoh ESW, Kobun R, Rasti B. 2023. The effects of gamma-aminobuytric acid (GABA) enrichment on nutritional, physical, shelf-life, and sensorial properties of dark chocolate. Foods 12(1):213. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12010213
Lagast S, De Steur H, Schouteten JJ, Gellynck X. 2018. A comparison of two low-calorie sweeteners and sugar in dark chocolate on sensory attributes and emotional conceptualisations. Int J Food Sci Nutr 69(3):344–357. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637486.2017.1362689
Latif R. 2013. Chocolate/cocoa and human health: A review. Neth J Med 71(2):63–68.
Lee Y, Berryman CE, West SG, Chen CYO, Blumberg JB, Lapsley KG, Kris-Etherton PM. 2017. Effects of dark chocolate and almonds on cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese individuals: A randomized controlled-feeding trial. Journal of AHA 6(12):e005162. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.116.005162
Liu J, Liu M, He C, Song H, Guo J, Wang Y, Su X. 2015. A comparative study of aroma-active compounds between dark and milk chocolate: Relationship to sensory perception. J Sci Food Agric 95(6):1362–1372. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.6831
Marcial-Coba MS, Saaby L, Knøchel S, Nielsen DS. 2019. Dark chocolate as a stable carrier of microencapsulated Akkermansia muciniphila and Lactobacillus casei. FEMS Microbiol Lett 366(2):fny290. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fny290s
Mellado-Mojica E López MG. 2015. Identification, classification, and discrimination of agave syrups from natural sweeteners by infrared spectroscopy and HPAEC-PAD. Food Chem167:349–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.06.111
Monteiro S, Dias J, Lourenço V, Partidário A, Lageiro M, Lampreia C, Alvarenga N. 2023. Development of a functional dark chocolate with baobab pulp. Foods 12(8):1711. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12081711
Nurhayati R, Zulfa N, Herawati ERN, Laila U. 2022. Physicochemical, and microbiological characteristics of probiotic dark chocolate bar sweetened with palm sugar and coconut sugar. Food Res 6(5):97–107. https://doi.org/10.26656/fr.2017.6(5).591
Ostertag LM, Philo M, Colquhoun IJ, Tapp HS, Saha S, Duthie GG, Le Gall G. 2017. Acute consumption of flavan-3-ol-enriched dark chocolate affects human endogenous metabolism. J Proteome Res 16(7):2516–2526. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00089
Oziyci HR, Karhan M. 2025. Sensory characterization of stevia-substituted low-calorie apricot drinks. Mediterr Agric Sci 38(1):21-27. https://doi.org/ 10.29136/mediterranean.1532219
Praseptiangga D, Invicta SE, Khasanah LU. 2019. Sensory and physicochemical characteristics of dark chocolate bar with addition of cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) bark oleoresin microcapsule. J Food Sci Technol 56:4323–4332. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-019-03901-8
Rull G, Mohd-Zain ZN, Shiel J, Lundberg MH, Collier DJ, Johnston A, Corder R. 2015. Effects of high flavanol dark chocolate on cardiovascular function and platelet aggregation. Vasc Pharmacol 71:70–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vph.2015.02.010
Salazar VAG, Encalada SV, Cruz AC, Campos MRS. 2018. Stevia rebaudiana: A sweetener and potential bioactive ingredient in the development of functional cookies. J Funct Foods 44:183–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/J. JFF.2018.03.007
Samanta S, Sarkar T, Chakraborty R, Rebezov M, Shariati MA, Thiruvengadam M, Rengasamy KR. 2022. Dark chocolate: An overview of its biological activity, processing, and fortification approaches. Curr Res Food Sci 5:1916–1943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crfs.2022.10.017
Saputro AD, Van de Walle D, Dewettinck K. 2020. Physicochemical properties of coarse palm sap sugars as natural alternative sweetener. Food Biosc 38:100780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2020.100780
Schiatti-Sisó IP, Quintana SE, García-Zapateiro LA. 2023. Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) as a common sugar substitute and its application in food matrices: An updated review. J Food Sci. Technol 60(5):1483–1492. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-022-05396-2
Sorrenti V, Ali S, Mancin L, Davinelli S, Paoli A, Scapagnini G. 2020. Cocoa polyphenols and gut microbiota interplay: Bioavailability, prebiotic effect, and impact on human health. Nutr 12(7):1908. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12071908
Tolve R, Condelli N, Caruso M. C, Barletta D, Favati F, Galgano F. 2018. Fortification of dark chocolate with microencapsulated phytosterols: Chemical and sensory evaluation. Food Func 9(2):1265–1273. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7FO01822C
Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O’Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D, Moher D, Peters MDJ, Horsley T, Weeks L. 2018. PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and explanation. Ann Intern Med 169(7):467–473. https://doi.org/10.7326/m18-0850
Vahedi H, Mousazadeh M. 2016. The effect of using stevia and agave nectar as a substitute for sucrose on physical, chemical, rheological, and sensory properties of dark chocolate. Der Pharmacia Lettre 8(15):194–201. http://scholarsresearchlibrary.com/archive.html
Wiese M, Bashmakov Y, Chalyk N, Nielsen DS, Krych Ł, Kot W, Klochkov V, Pristensky D, Bandealetova T, Chernyshova M, Kyle N. 2019. Prebiotic effect of lycopene and dark chocolate on gut microbiome with systemic changes in liver metabolism, skeletal muscles and skin in moderately obese persons. BioMed Res Int 1:4625279. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/4625279
Yoriska DP, Praseptiangga D, Khasanah LU. 2019. Panelist acceptance level and characterization of physical and chemical properties on dark chocolate bar with addition of kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix DC.) leaf essential oil. IOP Conf Ser Mater Sci Eng 633(1):012031. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/633/1/012031
Authors
The copyrights of manuscripts shall be assigned/transferred to Jurnal Gizi dan Pangan (Indonesian Journal of Nutrition and Food).
Article Details
How to Cite
